Memory card for an action camera: which one to buy and what to consider when choosing
A memory card for an action camera must not only have sufficient capacity, but also high reading speed, as well as resistance to adverse factors. The main selection criteria and an overview of the best models are presented in this article.
The content of the article
Main criteria
When choosing a device, you need to take into account its type, memory capacity, reading speed and other technical characteristics.
Card type
Manufacturers produce several types that are suitable for specific devices. Therefore, when purchasing, you need to study the description of the camera and find out which storage media are suitable for it.
Most models are compatible with SD cards. But if the device was released 5-7 years ago or more, perhaps only SDHC or SDXC is suitable for it. They are limited in memory capacity – 64 GB and 512 GB, respectively.
Memory
This is not the only, but very important indicator that you should immediately pay attention to. If you are purchasing a memory card for a 4K action camera or another type, you should choose at least 32 GB. Anything less will definitely not be enough. You need to focus on the duration of the shooting. It is optimal if the memory is enough for one full day, that is, for 10-12 hours. For such cases, it is worth considering flash drives from 128 GB.
Moreover, for recording it is better to use several flash drives at once. If any of them is lost, the material can be easily restored using a spare one.When considering which memory card to buy for an action camera, you need to consider the relationship between memory capacity and video length, as well as the number of photos. The ratios are:
- Each gigabyte corresponds to 10 very high quality photos. For example, if the volume is 64 GB, approximately 640 photos can be recorded on the device.
- As for the length of the video, each minute requires approximately 0.8 GB. Thus, for 10 minutes you need 8 GB, for 60 minutes - 48 GB, for 120 minutes - 96 GB, etc.
Optimal write and read speed
When considering how to choose a memory card for an action camera, it is important to consider not only the memory, but also the speed of recording, as well as further reading. Even if the capacity is good enough, but the device is slow, it will be extremely uncomfortable to use.
Depending on the speed, all flash drives are divided into several classes, which are simply designated by numbers, for example, 1, 2, 6, 10. It is allowed to consider media of a class not lower than 6, and optimally 10. This means that recording is carried out at a speed of 6 MB, respectively /s and 10 Mb/s. Also, the indicator is often written on the flash drive itself, as shown in the diagram.
When considering which flash drive to choose for an action camera, you should take into account the shooting features. So, if you plan to shoot serial high-quality video, it is better to choose media with a speed of 45 Mb/s.
Top 5 best flash drives
If we talk about exactly which memory card for an action camera is worth buying, you should carefully study customer reviews and descriptions of the equipment. If we take into account the price-quality ratio and the popularity of the brand, we get the following rating:
- Kingston Canvas Go! Plus provides 64 GB of memory for the action camera.The reading speed is 180 MB/s, which is quite enough for any shooting. The device is reliable, the manufacturer provides a lifetime warranty.
- Flash drive with high processing speed of 130 MB/s. Resistant to external influences, including temperature changes, radiation and others. A 10-year warranty is provided.
- SanDisk Extreme V30 A2 is a device with speeds up to 160 MB/s. A reliable card with moisture protection, withstands shock and radiation.
- Transcend microSDXC 256 GB A1 is a device with high speeds up to 100 MB/s and a large capacity of 256 GB. Can be used in both action cameras and smartphones.
- SanDisk Extreme Pro V3 A2 is another flash drive with a large capacity of 256 GB, which is highly resistant to shock, temperature influences and other factors. Has a lifetime warranty.
Since the memory card must work in harsh conditions, it is important to consider only reliable equipment with a warranty of at least 5-10 years. Such flash drives do a really good job of recording and are not afraid of mechanical and weather influences.
